Chapter 257

After leaving the First Division, Tenjirō Kirinji stood for a while on the stone path of Seireitei.

Then, he broke off a thin twig from a nearby tree branch, rolled it back into a toothpick, and put it in his mouth.

A few breaths later, he started walking towards the Fourth Division.

The Fourth Division's barracks were still lit at this hour, but there were still members on night duty walking back and forth in the corridor.

When Kirinji Shunpo in the captain's room, Unohana was sitting at the table working.

Unohana noticed the figure that suddenly appeared in the house and looked up.

"Kirinji, what are you doing here at the Fourth Division in the middle of the night?"

"Come visit an old friend," Kirinji pulled up a chair and sat down. "Your Fourth Division is still the same as before, nothing's changed."

Unohana put down her pen and looked up.

"You're not the kind of person who would come to me to catch up for no reason. Just say what you need."

Kirinji grinned.

Unohana is never someone who can be easily fooled.

He leaned back, the chair legs scraping softly against the wooden floor.

"I've come to inquire about your vice-captain, Wang Xun."

"He's no longer the vice-captain."

"Yes, Kenpachi." Kirinji nodded. "He picked up the Kaidō very quickly. Did you teach him personally?"

"Yes."

"To be able to learn to this level in just a few years, you'd be hard-pressed to find many in the history of the Fourth Division."

Kirinji took the toothpick out of his mouth and twirled it between his fingertips.

"And that's not all, Kenpachi, heh..."

Kirinji's voice softened slightly.

"A vice-captain with a medical background has mastered both Kendō and Kaidō to this level within just a few years. Lie, you've taught him quite a lot."

Unohana didn't speak; she looked at Kirinji with a calm gaze.

"What exactly do you want to ask?"

Kirinji asked casually.

"Has he ever displayed any special abilities in battle, the kind that are not commonly seen?"

Unohana's gaze changed; a cold light appeared in her usually calm eyes as she looked at Kirinji's face.

She knew, of course, that Wang Xun had demonstrated his ability to Hollowfication in front of her long ago.

Why would Kirinji ask this?

"What significance does this information hold for your Zero Division?"

Kirinji pursed his lips, tilted his head back, and exhaled.

"Nothing, just curious."

Unohana gazed at him, then gently shook her head.

"As far as I know, Wang Xun is nothing special."

"Is that so..."

A moment later, Kirinji stood up.

"Alright, I was just asking. Nothing else, I'm leaving."

Tenjirō Kirinji's figure disappeared.

Unohana stared quietly at the chair where Kirinji had just been sitting, her brows furrowing slightly.

The workshop of the Twelfth Division was lit up all night.

Senjumaru Shutara and Kirio Hikifune each performed their duties in their respective office locations.

At this moment, Shutara's several mechanical arms were rapidly clicking on different control panels, watching the constantly fluctuating data stream on the projection screen.

When Kirinji pushed open the door, Shutara n't even turn his head.

"You got it?"

"Um."

Kirinji pulled a small sealing tube from his sleeve.

The tube was only as thick as a thumb, and a wisp of pale white Reiatsu was sealed inside its transparent walls.

He handed the sealing tube to Shutara.

Shutara took it and placed the bottom of the tube onto the sensor slot on the control panel.

A series of waveforms appeared on the screen, with dense streams of data rolling from right to left.

A few breaths later, Shutara frowned.

"It's strange, it only has the characteristics of the Soul Reaper's soul."

Kirinji nodded.

"That's right, I already checked it when I came, and the conclusion was consistent."

"Although that's how it should be, we all know that this kid has more than just the power of Soul Reaper within him."

Shutara glanced back at Kirinji.

"So, he's been hiding it, and doing it very cleverly."

Kirinji leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, but I didn't deliberately hide my actions. After all, I wouldn't stoop to such petty tricks. If it weren't for the monk..."

At this point, both of them fell silent, and the room was quiet for a moment.

Then, Kirinji sighed.

"How's the investigation into Yhwach going?"

Kirinji changed the subject.

"There's some progress."

Shutara turned back to the console and brought up a map of the World of the Living world.

Several red fluctuating points are marked on the map.

"The spatial residual energy of the Shadow Domain is still decaying, but the remaining amount is enough for tracking. We should be able to locate his movements soon."

"Let's hurry, after all, the monks can't wait much longer."

Early the next morning.

11th Division training ground.

Before the sun had even heated up the stone pavement, the team members were already wielding their knives on the field.

As the wooden sword fell, sweat streamed down the soldiers' backs.

Wang Xun stood at the edge of the training field watching the team members train, occasionally pointing out to correct a team member's knife-wielding posture.

At that moment, another figure appeared behind him.

Tenjirō Kirinji landed Shunpo with Shunpo, appearing two steps behind Wang Xun.

"You're doing a really good job as captain, personally overseeing training so early in the morning. It's rare to see someone like you."

Wang Xun his head to look at him.

What brings you here?

"It's nothing serious."

Kirinji walked to the weapon rack and casually fiddled with the training wooden sword hanging there.

"I'm just curious, after you switched to Kenpachi, has your ability to Kaidō suffered?"

Wang Xun turned to look at him.

Tenjirō Kirinji is a character in the Zero Division who was selected for his ability to Kaidō state.

The hot springs he created with his Reiatsu could indeed revive the dead and heal the bones.

Moreover, to be honest, Wang Xun somewhat envious of that hot spring.

After all, Kisuke Urahara had only replicated a simplified version of the Little Spirit Spring, yet Wang Xun had already collected quite a few fragments.

Now that the original owner is here, if Wang Xun could soak in his Blood Pool and White Pool, who knows how many Reiryoku Fragment he could collect...

At this moment, Wang Xun's interest was also piqued.

"Kaidō, how do you intend to test it?"

Kirinji smiled and calmly stated his plan.

How about taking a soak in a hot spring?

"Spa?"

Wang Xun narrowed his eyes slightly.

What? Your wish has come true?

At this moment, Kirinji reached behind his waist, pulled out the long staff tucked into his belt, twirled it in his hand, and slung it over his shoulder.

"However, it's better to exercise a bit and sweat before soaking in the hot spring."

A slight smile appeared on Wang Xun's lips.

It seems they want to test their skills against me?

"Okay, let's do it here then, there's space available."

Kirinji looked around the training grounds, where many soldiers were still training.

Kirinji's lips curled up, and he spat the long toothpick into the bushes by the field.

Soon, the two arrived at a deserted open space and stood facing each other.

At this moment, some of the team members noticed what was happening and turned to look.

"That's... the captain is going to have a competition with someone?"

"Who is that guy? He's also wearing Captain's Haori, but he has a captain's crest on the back that I've never seen before."

"It's been a while since we've seen the captain make a move. That guy on the other side doesn't seem like a nobody."

On the field, Kirinji held a wooden stick with a wooden board embedded at the top, the whole shape resembling a tool used to manipulate hot springs.

At this moment, he gripped the top of the wooden board with his toes and pulled it out, pulling out a knife blade.

The wooden board was actually a scabbard; once the scabbard was removed, a blade was revealed.

The blade beneath the sheath is broad and short, with a long handle attached to the back, and its surface gleams with a cold light.

Judging from its appearance, it is actually a naginata.

The naginata spun in Kirinji's hand, its blade whistling as it sliced through the air.

Wang Xun also drew his Zanpakuto, ready for battle.

Kirinji has made a move.

His Shunpo was so fast that even Wang Xun could hardly detect it.

Aside from his ability to Kaidō, many people overlook his combat abilities.

At this moment, Wang Xun thought of the other name of the Tenjirō Kirinji: the Divine General of the East, the Lightning-Fast Tenjirō.

The sound came from Wang Xun's right rear. The sound of a blade cutting through the air had barely reached his ears when the naginata's blade was already slashing horizontally towards him.

Wang Xun parried to the side, and the blades collided, creating a ring of sparks.

The impact traveled along the blade to my wrist, making my hand go numb.

[Gained 2 Shunpo Fragments. Shunpo EXP +200]

The system notification popped up at the edge of the field of view.

The next moment, Kirinji's second strike came from a completely opposite angle.

Wang Xun a half step back to avoid the blade tip. The wind from the naginata grazed his Adam's apple, leaving a faint red mark on his skin.

Kirinji did not stop.

His naginata was longer than Wang Xun's Zanpakuto, and combined with his speed advantage, he launched a continuous barrage of attacks, combining horizontal slashes with diagonal thrusts and diagonal thrusts with vertical slashes.

Wang Xun parried the flashing blades repeatedly, appearing somewhat disheveled.

Kirinji did not give Wang Xun time to react.

His attack became even more ferocious; his feet Shunpo and continuously, and he appeared to Wang Xun's left.

The naginata slashed vertically, its blade trailing a blindingly white arc.

Wang Xun parried with his sword, and the moment the Shackle Lotus and the naginata collided, countless sparks flew.

The impact forced Wang Xun's feet into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Wang Xun his weight to the side to deflect the force.

The naginata's blade grazed against the blade of the Shackle Lotus, exploding into a cloud of dust on the ground.

Wang Xun Shunpo retreated, and the moment his toes touched the ground, Kirinji had already rushed towards him through the smoke and dust of the explosion.

The naginata slashed upwards from an extremely low angle, its tip aimed at Wang Xun's chin, but Wang Xun his head back to avoid it.

Counterattack.

As Wang Xun looked up, he took a step forward.

This move puts you within Kirinji's sword range; the naginata is too long, making it difficult to use effectively at close range.

Shackle Lotus slashed upwards, the blade aimed directly at Kirinji's fingers holding the sword.

Kirinji flipped his wrist, using the end of the hilt to deflect the attack, while simultaneously attempting to use Shunpo to retreat and create distance again.

What Kirinji didn't know was that as the fragments continued to fall, Wang Xun gradually became able to keep up with his movements.

Wang Xun pressed close, and this time, it was Kirinji's turn to respond.

After several rounds of fighting, Kirinji was surprised to find that Wang Xun adapted to his attacks exceptionally quickly.

From initially reacting hastily to now being able to withstand his attacks and even counterattack.

This kid's got some skills.

At this moment, with the enhancement of the fragments, Wang Xun's Shunpo was much faster than at the beginning of the fight.

Meanwhile, Kirinji's offensive began to accelerate.

His Shunpo was no longer a straight-line movement; it began to change direction at high speed.

He used his Shunpo to turn back abruptly, stepping on thin air. Before his afterimages could dissipate, his true form was already behind Wang Xun.

The naginata stabbed towards Wang Xun's lower back from a blind spot. When the tip of the blade was still half an inch away from the death knight's armor, Wang Xun swung his sword back and deflected it.

Kirinji took a half step back, and he was noticeably more serious at this moment.

The naginata drew an arc in front of him, then swung wildly in his hand.

The players on the sidelines were completely dumbfounded.

Kirinji's movements were so fast that most people could only see the flash of the blade.

Wang Xun's parries became increasingly frequent, the sound of weapons clashing as fast as a rapid drumbeat.

Kirinji was increasing the speed of his sword swings.

However, the frequency of fragments falling is also increasing simultaneously.

[Gained 8 Shunpo Fragments, Shunpo Experience +800]

[Gained 3 Kendō Fragments, Kendō Experience Points +300]

The system notifications kept refreshing, and Wang Xun's Shunpo experience bar was jumping rapidly, while his movement speed was also increasing in tandem.

After leaping back from Kirinji, they widened the distance.

The impact of the Shunpo created craters in the ground beneath their feet.

He looked at Wang Xun, the smile on his lips deepening even further.

The naginata from Kirinji clashed repeatedly with the Zanpakuto in Wang Xun's hand, and the sounds of weapons clashing filled the air once again.

As the competition intensified, the players on the sidelines were completely mesmerized.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the two fast-moving figures on the field, but most people could only see the sparks that appeared as weapons clashed on the training ground.

For these ordinary team members, capturing the figures and movements of these two people was an impossible task.

"Too, too fast..."

"I can't see it, I can't see it at all."

"What on earth is the captain fighting? When did Seireitei get characters like this...?"

Kirinji swung his sword down, Wang Xun dodged it in an instant. The sword landed heavily on the ground, creating a shockwave.

The impact sent sand and gravel flying, carrying a the Heat heat as they scattered in all directions.

At this moment, Kirinji stopped attacking and slowly straightened up, hoisting the naginata onto his shoulder, looking at Wang Xun in the distance.

"Good lad, you actually managed to steal my Shunpo technique during the battle, you've got some skills..."

At this moment, Wang Xun also stopped.

The two stared at each other across the messy training field.

Kirinji's breathing remained unchanged from the beginning, while Wang Xun's breathing became slightly heavier.

Those present unconsciously swallowed hard when they saw the two stop fighting.

They had all witnessed the battle between Wang Xun and Kiganjō, the Kenpachi.

That battle was a complete rout; Wang Xun's sword was so fast that Kiganjō didn't even have time to react.

But this opponent is clearly not Kiganjō can compare to.

Kirinji held the naginata horizontally in front of him, his fingers slowly sliding along the hilt.

The idea of injuring Wang Xun to the point where he could be treated in a hot spring seems unlikely to be so easy to achieve.

I never expected to be forced into this situation by a newly appointed captain. The Soul Society truly is full of talented people.

Kirinji's lips curled into a smile, a long-lost fighting spirit rekindling within him.

"This level of effort hardly qualifies as a warm-up, Wang Xun, don't you think?"

Having said that, Tenjirō Kirinji straightened up, and his Reiatsu began to rise.

"Looks like things are getting serious. Watch out..."

His Reiatsu gathered on the blade, and the naginata's edge began to emit a dazzling light.

Kirinji's lips curled up as he softly uttered the release incantation for his Zanpakuto.

"Amaterasu Flash, Kinpika."